


The Shatterdome Life

by musicofthespheres



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Fluff, Gen, M/M, Post-Canon, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-19
Updated: 2013-09-18
Packaged: 2017-12-27 00:21:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 2,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/972072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/musicofthespheres/pseuds/musicofthespheres
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based on a series of one-word prompts</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Bubbles

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Edgebug](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Edgebug/gifts).



> Unbeta'd, all mistakes mine

"What is that infernal _whirring_?" Hermanns snaps the moment he steps through the door. "I could hear it from down the hallw- are those _bubbles_?" He stares at the soapy orbs that seem to have invaded the entire lab.

"I found an old bubble machine in the closet!" Newt says enthusiastically, emerging from the plethora of bubbles that have gathered near his work table, where the aforementioned machine rests.

Hermann swats away an errant bubble that floats too close to his head. 

"I will not be able to work in such an environment," he grits out. "Please turn it off." He most certainly does not momentarily reconsider upon seeing the magnificent pout on Newton's face. After a moment, he adds: "And what was a bubble machine doing in here, anyway?" 

Newt shrugs and begrudgingly turns off the machine. "Probably from when they could actually celebrate victories, I guess." 

Hermann huffs out a humourless laugh and gets to work. 

\---

Newt leaves the lab early, citing "extreme starvation" and "too few bubbles" as his reasons. 

Hermann works happily in silence for half an hour before he stops and stares at the chalkboard. Something is amiss. He glances behind him to Newt's unoccupied half of the lab. Without the usual noises his lab partner makes, with all his puttering around and humming to old 90s music, the space is far too quiet. He side-eyes the accursed bubble machine and sighs.

\---

Newt finds Hermann still in the lab at 11pm, trying to figure out how to pour bubble solution into the machine. They decide never to speak of it again.


	2. Chocolate

"Got you a present," Newt announces as he strolls into the lab. It's ration day, and he's unsurprisingly chipper. He tosses a sizable package to Hermann, who barely manages to catch it in time.

"What is...?" Hermann starts, before looking down to find a rather large chocolate bar in his hands. "But this is..."

"Hella rare? I know, man. And I also know you freaking love chocolate." He taps his forehead, indicating the Drift. Newt must have used a good majority of his ration cards for this The gesture touches Hermann's heart.

"Th-thank you, Newton," he says shyly. 

Newt merely grins in resonse and digs into his paperwork.

\---

Like clockwork, Newt opens the fridge at 1pm. "Do you feel like soup or... soup?" he calls over his shoulder. "Man, we really gotta restock this thing."

Hermann laughs. It's not _his_ fault that Newton decided to do a kind but unnecessary deed in lieu of eating well for a couple of days. Despite this, he feels pleasantly warm and tingly all over for the fact that his lab partner did something so sweet for him. He hobbles over to the fridge and places a hand on Newton's shoulder. "Dr. Geiszler," he says gently. 

Newt startles at the unexpected touch. He turns to Hermann, and they're really quite close in proximity, Hermann notices belatedly. 

"Here," he swallows roughly and takes a step back. "We'll share this."

"No, man. That's yours," Newton says, shaking his head. If he notices the invasion of personal space, he doesn't mention it.

Hermann shoves the chocolate forward insistently. "It's far too large. I'm afraid you must assist me in consuming it." 

Newt rubs the back of his neck, looking at his shoes with his mouth turned up in a half smile. And Hermann will be damned if his lab partner is not adorable. The descriptor floats into his mind so easily that it takes him a moment to realize that it was definitely something Newt would think, not him.  
He breaks off a piece for each of them and they stare thoughtfully into thin air. 

"You are really quite something, Dr. Geiszler," Hermann says when he finishes the piece. He walks back to his chalkboard, leaving a bewildered Newt behind him. He hears the other man drop something not ten seconds later, and smirks as he returns to his equations.


	3. Shirts (of the oversized variety)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so so so much to [edgebug](http://edgebug.tumblr.com/post/62134049016) for the art for this prompt!

Jaeger pilots and program directors get their own rooms. Due to budget cuts and who knows what else, many of the Shatterdome staff were paired up to share. The K-Science team are no different.

"I'm just glad there's a door that _shuts_ in here," Newt grumbles, not for the first time. It's hard enough that he has to endure the stuffy old man ("I'm only a year older than you are, Dr. Geiszler") all day while he works. Having to be on his best behaviour in his own room, too? Ugh. It's awful.

But sometimes it isn't. One evening, Hermann lays on his back on his bed, limbs splayed all over the place. "Newton," he sighs contemplatively. 

  
"Yeah, Herm?" Newt asks and looks up from the book he's reading.

"Is it just me, or has it gotten cold in here?"

"I think it's just you."

Another sigh. " _Gott verdammt_." He gets up and begins rummaging through his drawers. Newt doesn't pay attention until a few moments later when Hermann stands up straight, hands on his hips. 

"What, they didn't have your size?" Newt smirks. The fabric drapes off of Hermann's slender frame like a sheet. The sleeves cover his hands and then some, and the hem drops well below his butt. 

"Larger sizes are far more comfortable," Hermann mumbles and makes his way back to the bed.

\---

Newt tries to play innocent. He really does. But he knows Hermann knows it's him. The large pile of giant sweaters lays lopsided on top of Hermann's dresser. Neither of them say anything, but Hermann wears them all through the winter and seems to particularly favour the one New likes best. 

It's the week after the war clock stops, but the two scientists have stuck around to wrap up their findings. Many of the staff have left, leaving several rooms wide open, but they continue to share. 

"Here," Hermann says one day, shoving a bundle at Newt. "You look cold." 

Newt unwraps it to find an oversized - even for him - sweater with the most hideous design ever on it. He immediately puts it on over his pajama shirt and grins. "Thanks, Herm!" he says, flapping the overly-long sleeves about. "I love it!"

And Hermann is happy he does.


	4. Laundry

They've worked out a system. Newt does his own _Gott verdammt_ laundry on Mondays and Thursdays, and Hermann doesn't complain when he leaves paper all over the place.

"I do not care what you do, just please, _bitte,_ keep your laundry _clean_." 

It's not hard, really. Hermann still gives him the occasional reminder. (It's Monday, Newton.) But in all, it's pretty decent.

Until the washing machine in their building busts. Make that all three. Newt doesn't know if it's a terrible coincidence or if the gods are out to get him. The other machines are all the way across the Shatterdome, and fuck anyone who thinks that Newt's gonna drag a basket all the way over there. So he starts surreptitiously hiding clothes: behind some boxes in his closet, under the mattress - he should get an award for creativity for rolling up his shirts and making them look like part of the kaiju figure he has on a shelf. And he's 100% certain he's gotten away with it.

"Newton, a word," Hermann says when the former walks into their room. 

Newt puts down the stack of books he's carrying. "Uh-huh?" 

Hermann holds up a shirt that is most definitely not his. "You wore this _five days_ ago." 

Shit. "Why yes, I did, thanks for noticing. I'm flattered, really." He shuts up when Hermann glares at him. 

"You've not laundered it since then. Nor any of your other articles of clothing."

"Jeez, man. I had no idea you were so in tune to my daily habits." More glaring. "Our machines broke, okay? I thought you'd have noticed." 

"I did notice that they fixed them on Friday," Hermann noties, continuing to regard the other many coolly. Newt swallows hard under the scrutiny, a blush rising to his cheeks. He gathers all of the wayward clothing, to much eyebrow raising on Hermann's part. "I was beginning to think you'd have nothing left to wear," he remarks drily. 

Newt waggled his eyebrows. "You'd like that, wouldn't you?" he says before promptly fleeing. He does not return for several hours, but when he does, Hermann is fast asleep. Newt climbs into bed as quietly as possible. He swears he hears the other doctor mumble in his sleep, and it sounds an awful lot like, "süße träume." Sweet dreams. Newt is only too happy to oblige. 


	5. Quilts

The Shatterdome is alive with activity. It is Rangers Mori and Becket's last day before they're to be honourably discharged from the PPDC with more medals than a World War II veteran. They coax marshal Hansen out of his office, Tendo away from his equipment, and Drs. Gottlieb and Geiszler from their laboratory.

"For a movie night?" Newt _squeals_ , practically bouncing up and down. Everyone shuffles into the rec room and finds a place to sit. Newt and Hermann find themselves in the love seat, but they're too exhausted from working all day to care. 

"I'm cold," Hermann whispers in Newt's ear halfway through. Newt promptly retrieves a quilt from the pile in the corner and drapes it around his lab partner. 

"There's enough to share," Hermann says and attempts to wrap it over Newt as well. During a particularly thrilling scene, Newt finds himself pressed up against Hermann's side. Neither of them mind.

\---

Later, as they both lie in the darkness, Newt's mind races. "Herm?" he enquires. 

"Yes?" comes the sleepy reply. 

"We kinda cuddled. During the movie."

Silence. _Shit. There goes my big mouth._ Hermann's bed creaks, and Newt hears his feet hit the floor and draw closer to him. 

"May I?" Hermann asks, pulling at Newt's quilt. _Oh._

"Y-yeah," Newt says, shuffling over. Is Hermann actually...?

The other scientist gingerly clibs into bed beside him. Much to Newt's dismay - if it could be called that, it's more shock, really - Hermann wraps an arm around his middle. Who knew that Hermann Gottlieb was an honest-to-God snuggler?

"Good night, Newton."

"Good night, Herm." 

\---

When they wake up, Hermann's face is cuddled up against Newt's chest. They both wake up at the same time, but neither move. Nor do they intend to for a long time.


	6. Restaurant

"I haven't been on a date since high school," Newt admits. 

"I don't know why you're worrying so much," Hermann sighs. "We work together daily and we share a room. It's not a big deal." 

"Yeah, but I mean... it's _different_ now. There's the romantic element involved."

Hermann blushes. The setting _is_ rather romantic, with the mood lighting and candlelit tables. "Yes, well. It is not a conventional first date." 

"I suppose not," Newt agrees. He looks over the menu once more and sighs. "I have no idea what I want." 

"Allow me to order for you, perhaps?" Hermann offers. 

Newt contemplates, then nods. "Not too spicy." But Hermann already knows that.

\---

Once they finish their meal, Newt having had some impossible-to-pronounce chicken dish and Hermann with his pad Thai, both make a move for their wallets. 

"Tch," Hermann hisses, smacking away Newt's hand. "Please. Allow me."

Newt knows better than to argue, so he acquiesces. "Thank you," he grins. "Who knew you were such a gentleman?"

\---

"Dessert's my treat, and I know just the place," Newt says as he helps Hermann onto the motorcycle. He climbs on as well and starts it up. He smiles to himself when Hermann's arms wrap tightly around his middle. 

He takes them to a place high up on a hill with aview. Reconstruction projects, all halted for the night, lay sprawled all over the shoreline of Hong Kong. The two of them eat their ice cream in silence before Hermann's hand finds Newt's. 

\---

They stay until the restaurant closes for the evening. When they arrive back at the Shatterdome, everyone is asleep. Newt assists Hermann up the stairs to the catwalk overlooking the now-empty Jaeger hangar. 

"So, um," Newt begins, rubbing the back of his neck. Hermann can tell he's trying to gather the courage, so he takes the initiative instead. He lins in and kisses him gently on the lips, deepening it slowly. 

"Not at all bad for a first date," Newt gasps when they finally break apart. 

Hermann smiles. "It was perfect," he says. And it was.

**Author's Note:**

> Special thanks to everyone who prompted: [gigi](http://sp8sexual.tumblr.com), [jo-jo-jo-jo-jo](http://jo-jo-jo-jo-jo.tumblr.com/), Alex, [littletrenchcoatangel](http://littletrenchcoatangel.tumblr.com), and [Aidi](http://aiditalks.tumblr.com). Feel free to send prompts to [my ask](http://trickspeightjr.tumblr.com/ask) to be added to the series.


End file.
